Spanish goalkeeper Casillas likely to be on Freedom Flotilla 2

By Sami Kishawi

I know I’m a little late in saying this, but the World Cup has taught me a few lessons:

1. If your mom is a stickler for money efficiency, buy jerseys after the World Cup ends. They will be on sale and she might not make you return them.

2. FIFA really needs to invest either in new goal-line technology or new referees. No more of this.

3. The World Cup brought the world together. Take advantage of it and prolong the sense of unity, even if it means joining Freedom Flotilla 2. This lesson is especially important.

The World Cup has once again introduced us to global unity. Entire communities joined one another to celebrate victories or share grief over bitter losses. People from the West met people from the East and together they waved the same flags and sang the same chants. For thirty days, people put aside their differences and took advantage of the unity that appeared to transcend socio-political borders. The World Cup worked wonders.
But these wonders haven’t yet faded away. Just ask Iker Casillas, captain and goalkeeper for Spain’s World Cup-winning national team.

Casillas is among many World Cup athletes who feel a connection with the Palestinians besieged in the Gaza Strip. In light of his team’s championship win, Casillas opted out from taking part in certain celebrations throughout central Madrid. “It’s unthinkable that people take part [in celebrations] and laugh after seeing what is going on in the Gaza Strip,” said Casillas to al-Hayat, a London-based newspaper.
His activism doesn’t just end there. It’s been reported that Casillas will most likely join other famous athletes on the forthcoming Freedom Flotilla 2, an ambitious and noble seaborne mission to break the siege on Gaza and deliver much-needed humanitarian aid. Tennis superstar Rafael Nadal is expected to be part of Flotilla 2 as well.
Although this hasn’t been confirmed yet, it’s nice to see that the spirit of the World Cup lives on even after the final match. Its aim is to promote unity through good sportsmanship and moral character. Casillas’s aim is to promote it even further. He’s already shown us that he’s the world’s best goalkeeper, and now he gets to show us how much he cares for humanity.

Sami Kishawi

http://smpalestine.com/2010/07/22/spanish-goalkeeper-casillas-to-be-on-freedom-flotilla-2/